The novel is an enchanting and captivating tale of arranged love set in Japan.

In Tokyo in the beginning of the 20th century, two children promised to each other from birth are growing more and more aware as time goes by of what separates them. Their union embodies the dissonances of the Japan of that time, torn between Occidental influence and ancestral traditions. Yuki dreams of travel and French literature whereas Takahito drifts dangerously closer to the ultra-nationalist right-wing movement.

When Takahito decides to enroll in the army for two years, Yuki discovers the joy of being a modern young woman but also the painful truth; not only is Takahito unfaithful to her but she is not in love with him. Thus freed to live her life, she marries her true love and expatriates to France. But the past catches up with her when Takahito reappears.

Kang delivers a romantic tale within the fascinating historical context of a society in flux: the confrontation between Christianity and Buddhism, the terrible earthquake of 1923 and the financial crash of 1929.